Can opener



NOV. 4 y

M. LUTENBERGER CAN OPENER Filed July 12. 1923 attorney V 17 '0 all whom 2'25 may concern:

Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

TED Sr I I A 'Q EN Application time my 12 Be it known that 1, MIKE L TENBERGER, a citizen of Hungary, residing at Blocton, in the county of Bibb and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Im-- provements in Can Openers,'of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to new and useful Improvementsin can openers.

An important object of the invention is to provide a can opener which may be quick ly and easily adapted for accommodating cans of difierent sizes and shapes. v

A further object of the invention is to provide an opener of the above mentioned type which is capable of completely performing its cutting operation with a single downward movement or the cutting element.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a can opener of simple construc-' tion, strong, and durable, and one that may be manufactured at a nominal cost.

Other objects and advantagesof the invention will be apparent during the oourseof the following description; I

In the accompanying drawing forminga' part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the can opener embodying this invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the can opener shown in Fig. 1. Figure 3 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the can opener shown in F igsgl f and 2,

Figure 4 is a detail elevational view of the means employed for operating'the cutting element,

Figure 5 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the portion of the invention shown in Fig. 4, p p Figure 6 is a bottom plan view ofthe cutting element shown in side elevation in Figs. 1 and 3, and 1 Figure 7 is a plan view of one end of a can after the same hasbeen operated upon by' the can opener embodying this invention.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of this invention, the numeral 5 desig- I nates a substantially square-shaped base having pads 6 which are suitably secured to the underit'ace of the base 5 at the four corners of the same. Suitably secured to these tour 1923. Serial No. 651,057.

corners ofthe base 5 and projecting upward- 1y from the same are the posts 7 which are adapted for: supporting the substantially square shaped platform 8. This platform is provided with a substantially centrally positioned} opening 9which is in axial alinement with the bore10 of the boss 11 which is carried by thesaid platform and projects up wardly therefrom. It is to be understood that the opening 9' and bore 10 are o-fs ubstantiallysquare formation.

The tubularboss '111 is provided Withapair of spaced ears 12that project laterally from one side: wall'of the same'andare provided with "transversely extending openings through which the pivot pin 13'eXtends. This pivot pin isadapted for pivotallysupporting thespaced bell crank levers 14 which are retained' in spaced relation by means of an integrally formed, depending" cross plate 1 5, as shown. Suitably journaled to the in:

- termediate portions of the "bell crank levers 14isa fshait16 that'is designed as at 17 to receive theps'quared opening formed in the lever portion'19 of the crank handle20. This shaft '16is provided with a gear 21 that is s constantly injmesh with a pinion 22'carried by a shaft 23 'which'is suitably journaled in thcfireeends of the upper arms forming a portion'oit' the said bell crank levers. j

Slidaihlypositioned .within the opening 9? and bore 10 is a rack bar 24 that is provided with the teeth 25, as clea'rly shown in Fig. 3. The lower end of this rack bar 24 is formed integrallywith a socket portion 25 having square recess 26 formed therein that is adapted to receive. thesquare shank 27 of the inverted cup-shaped cutting element 28.

'Byinspecting Fig.1,it'will beseen that the square shank 27 is'removably retainedwithin the socket 25 by means of the set screw 29.

-By,i'nspectingFigs. 1, 3 and '6, itr will be seen. that the inverted cup-shaped cutting element28 is provided with "diametrically extending earsBO'thataTe adapted for en- 1 gaging the upper edges of a can C, as shown in Figs. 1,3 and'7, for preventing the said element from being forced entirely into the can. The lower edge of the inverted cupshaped cutting element 28 is suitably formed to provide the tooth-shaped cutting edges 31 which are alternately formed of different lengths. A cutout portion 32 has been provided in this edge of the cutting element 28 for preventing the entire top of the can from being cut and will form the tab C shown in Fig. 7 which will allow the cut portion of the end of the can to be hingedly connected to the remaining portion.

It is desired to retain the pinion 22 into engagement with the teeth 25 formed on the rack bar 24 when the cutting element 28 is being operated to pierce or cut the top of the can C. It is also desired to be able to quickly shift the cutting element 28 and rack bar 25 upwardly and downwardly in respect to the platform 8. For making possible these two desired results, there is provided a latch housing 33 that is formed integrally with the platform 8 and the tubular boss 11 and has slidably positioned therewith the.

latch bolt 34 having projecting laterally therefrom the operating pin 35 which slidably occupies an elongated slot 36 formed in the side wall of the latch casing 33 and is best illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive. There is also provided a spiral spring 37 which is adapted for forcing upwardly upon the latch bolt 34 to cause the upper end to project outwardly beyond the top edge of the latch casing 33. By inspecting Fig. 3, it will be seen that when the pinion 22 is moved into engagement with the teeth 25 formed on the rack bar 24, the latch bolt 34 will be allowed to move upwardly between the side wall of the tubular boss 11 and the element 15 car' ried by the bell crank levers 14. The positioning of the latch bolt 34 as shown in this figure will retain the pinion 22 in mesh with the teeth 25. When it is desired to pivot the bell crank levers 14 upon the pin 13 to cause the pinion 22 to be moved out of engagement with the teeth 25, the latch bolt 34 is moved into a position substantially within the latch casing 33 for allowing the spacer element 15 carried by the bell crank levers to be moved into engagement with the side wall of the tubular boss 11. released and the spring 37 will cause the same to engage the lower edge of the spacer element 15 for retaining the bell crank levers in the position shown in Fig. 5.

It will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art that cutting elements of different shape than the circular element shown in Fig. 6 may be employed for handling cans of different shapes. This possibility of changing the cutting element will allow the device to be employed for opening square The latch bolt 34 is then and rectangularly-shaped cans as well as cylindrically-shaped ones.

The operation of the device is as follows: After the cutting element 28 and rack bar 24 are moved into the position shown in Fig. 1, the device is in readiness for positioning a can C upon the base 5 in the manner shown in this figure. By depressing the latch bolt 34 to allow the bell crank levers 14 to be pivoted upon the pin 13 for moving the pinion 22 out of mesh with the teeth 25, the cutting element 28 and rack bar 24 will be allowed to drop until the points of the cutting edges 31 engage the upper end of the can C. The latch bolt 34 is then operated to allow the pinion 22 to be moved into mesh with the teeth 25. When the pinion 22 and teeth 25 are meshing properly, the crank handle 20 may berotated in the proper direction for forcing, the cutting edges 31 through the top of the can C. After the edges have been forced through the top of the can to properly cut the same in the manner shown in Fig. 7, the cutting element 28 and rack bar 24 may be elevated by reversing the direction of rotation of the crank handle 20. It will be apparent that this operation may be performed very rapidly for handling a great number of cans in a limited period of time.

It is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the'subjoined claim.

Having thus described the invention, I claim i In a can opener of the class described, a support, a tubular boss carried by said support, a rack bar slidably positioned within the bore of said boss, spaced bell crank levers pivotally carried by the tubular boss, a train of gears carried by the bell crank levers adapted for engaging and disengaging a rack bar for. operating the same, means for operating the train of gears, and means carried by the tubular boss and support for retaining the train of gears in their operative or inoperative positions.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MIKE LUTENBERGER. 

